Williams used the $5 she won on another scratcher to purchase the winning ticket Saturday at the ARCO AM/PM at 1916 N. Riverside Ave., Rialto.

She had a feeling that she was about to come into money. Her right hand wouldn’t stop itching, and according to lore, that means someone is about to receive money. (An itchy left hand means that you are about to pay out money.)

Williams, after examining the ticket, wasn’t completely sure she had won because she had never played this particular scratcher before and wasn’t sure of the rules.

A player scratches off one set of letters and then scratches off a crossword puzzle. A friend who examined the ticket said she had won.

So Williams dutifully completed her rounds Monday before turning in the ticket at the Inland Empire lottery office in San Bernardino.

Yet she still wasn’t convinced her financial fortunes had changed.

“The lady scanned it and walked away. I was like, ‘Oh, my God. Is it a fake lottery ticket?’” Williams told officials.

The ticket was real.

Williams has three adult children, five grandchildren and a cat who will also benefit.

She stands to pull in $562,500 after 25 percent of the total is deducted for federal taxes. She also must report the income on her state tax return.

Her winning ticket is 1 of 17 out there that hold a $750,000 top prize, according to the state lottery website. Most people don’t win anything playing this particular scratcher game, as the overall odds of claiming a prize are 1 in 3.43.

Brian Rokos writes about public safety issues such as policing, criminal justice, scams, how law affects public safety, firefighting tactics and wildland fire danger. He has also covered the cities of San Bernardino, Corona, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Perris, Canyon Lake and Hemet. Before that he supervised reporters and worked as a copy editor. For some reason, he enjoys movies where the Earth is threatened with extinction.